Crossroads groups raise $3.3 million

The trio of conservative outside groups founded by GOP strategists Karl Rove and Ed Gillespie raised just over $3 million in the first half of 2013 — with $1 million coming from a single corporate donor.

American Crossroads, Crossroads GPS and the Conservative Victory Project jointly posted a $3.37 million fundraising haul.

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In the first six months of 2013, American Crossroads — the Rove-founded super PAC — raised $1.85 million, while Crossroads GPS — the 501(c)(4) nonprofit — raised $1.45 million.

The Conservative Victory Project — a super PAC founded to intervene on behalf of the most viable candidate in GOP primary fights — had no donors other than a few transfers from parent group American Crossroads. A person familiar with the group’s plans said that Conservative Victory Fund was still in a”start-up phase” and had not done any active fundraising.

The combined cash haul for all three groups is off from the group’s 2011 fundraising pace. At a similar point in 2011, American Crossroads alone posted a $3.3 million haul, while Crossroads GPS does not disclose its donors and is not required to file a mid-year report. The group could not immediately provide a mid-year 2011 total.

A spokesman for the group said the slowdown in fundraising was due to the lack of a presidential race.

“Our fundraising results so far are roughly comparable to where we were at this point in 2011, when you consider the absence of a presidential election this cycle,” said Jonathan Collegio, a spokesman for all three groups.

“Although we have yet to make any hard fundraising requests this year for any of our groups, we’ve been encouraged by growing donor enthusiasm about the opportunity to win control of the Senate as well as the paramount need to defend our House majority and block President Obama’s second-term agenda,” Collegio said.

As usual, most of the money raised by Crossroads came from large donors — including a $1 million donation from conservative billionaire Harold Simmons’ Contran Corporation. Other major donors to Crossroads include the asset management firm Skybridge Capital, attorney Boyden Gray, and investment and holdings company Rooney Holdings.

Much of that 2011 fundraising was driven by conservative exuberance about the 2012 presidential cycle — and the belief that President Barack Obama was a ripe target for any GOP nominee.